plate tectonics
nounUK /pleɪt tɛkˈtɒn.ɪks/
US /pleɪt tɛkˈtɑː.nɪks/
The idea that Earth's outer shell is made of big moving pieces called plates.
Plate tectonics explains why earthquakes and volcanoes happen in certain places.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The study of how Earth's plates move and shape the land.
She studied plate tectonics in her geology class.
3. The slow shifting of large sections of a planet's surface.
Scientists found evidence of plate tectonics on other worlds.
4. A way to describe big changes that happen slowly over time.
The company's plate tectonics shifted when a new boss arrived.